1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to exhaust hoods for food cookers. More particularly, this invention relates to exhaust hoods having a removable filter assembly for filtering the grease-laden vapors from a cooking apparatus such as a pressure cooker and for exhausting such vapors after filtering. This invention also relates to sensor means for determining when the filter assembly requires changing.
2. Description of the Background Art
Exhaust hoods have been widely used in connection with food cooking apparatus. In the case of cooking apparatus such as pressure fryers and the like, fixed exhaust hoods have been mounted in fixed position upon the cooking apparatus for .venting to the outside of the building. As an alternative to venting to the outside of the building, other hoods have been provided for positioning over a cooking apparatus, and have included a variety of filters including electrostatic filters, that sufficiently clean the grease-laden vapors so that they can be vented to the inside of the building. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,949 illustrates an exhaust hood having a filter assembly and having a fan positioned to draw vapors therethrough to vent to the inside of the room.
Other prior art is exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,747,301, 4,143,646, 4,155,348, 4,489,647, 4,505,194, 4,520,717 and 4,539,898 which illustrate the use of a variety of filters as an integral part of cooking apparatus.
In many locations, such as convenience stores, there exists a need for a movable exhaust hood, for use with movable cooking apparatus, that filters the grease-laden vapors and then vents the cleaned vapors inside of the building. Importantly, the construction, type and arrangement of the filters determines the effectiveness of removing grease and other particulate matter from the grease-laden vapors flowing from the cooking apparatus. Furthermore, as the filters become saturated with grease and other particulate matter, their effectiveness are substantially decreased. However, early cleaning and changing of the filters is wasteful and uneconomical. Hence, there exists a need for being able to determine the ideal time for changing the filters.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a support for carrying a hood above a cooking apparatus as well as a base for providing stability to the hood and filter carried thereby.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a free-standing exhaust hood with filters for use above a variety of cooking apparatus for cleaning the grease-laden vapors from the apparatus and venting the cleaned vapors within the building.
Another object of the invention is to provide a separate movable hood for use with a portable cooking apparatus such as a deep fat fryer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hood for use with cooking apparatus for carrying fire extinguishing apparatus independently of the cooker.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a movable hood having a fan for creating vapors flow through a filter carried in the hood and returning filtered vapors to a building.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hood having filters that are accessibly positioned within the hood for easy removability.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hood having a filter assembly that is a more effective and simplified filter assembly with reduced parts.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hood having sensor means for sensing when the proper filter assembly is installed.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hood having sensor means for providing an advance warning of when the filter assembly requires changing.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hood having sensor means for sensing when the filter assembly requires changing and for then shutting-down the exhaust hood and the cooking apparatus.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.